Keeping To Tradition
by LostLyra
Summary: It's a cold dark night in late December, and it's quite near Christmas, and the Pirate Captain, as normal, wants to keep the good old traditions going. Shameless Scraftain fluff.


Some, shameless, very cheesy Scraftain Christmas fluff! Merry Christmas and hope you all have a very Happy New year!

* * *

"I swear if he mentioned that turtle-"

"Tortoise, Sir,"

"That blasted Tortoise again I think I'm going to cry! Honestly Two, that man really needs to get a girlfriend, and I mean really," the crisp mid December air carried two voices towards the sea as a pair of silhouetted figures walked back from an old creaking inner city London pub. They walked in tandem, with their breath mixing in the frosty air, coiling together and rising into the smoky London atmosphere, before disappearing as quickly as they had come. The taller man of the pair rubbed his cold hands together, before blowing onto the chilled skin readily. "Can't wait to get back onto the ship though," there was a pause. "Aren't you cold Two?"

The other man laughed, his voice bouncing playfully off the sooty walls of the tightly packed houses. "Born a Londoner, always a Londoner Sir," he scuffed his boot against the patch-worked stone-cobbled road. "I'm used to the cold winters, and even colder summers!" both chuckled at the joke. As they continued to walk down the dark road, only lit by flickering yellow flames from shivering street lights. Rounding the corner they passed a group of late night carolers on the way to their next house, (or victim as the taller one whispered to his companion) as the cheerful group started to walk away. Getting into the festive spirit the taller man started to sing, _God Wish Ye Merry Gentlemen_quite loudly, causing his companion to roll his eyes as he took the weight of the slightly drunk man.

"Sir," he laughed, not being able to help be joyful as the pair staggered into the old dockyard. "Sir, we'll get caught if you're not quiet,"

"Heh," the auburn-haired man chuckled loudly. "That's the problem about you Two, you're far too uptight!"

Sighing wearily his younger companion hoisted his superior higher up his shoulder and made his way towards the dock. His boots crunched over the hard ice, left by several days of winter chill, and his breath puffed out in white billows of moisture as sweat pooled on his brow from the heavy load (that he was partly dragging) towards the sea.

Suddenly there was the weak light of a lamp, stretching out from the darkness of the dockside, and there was a very abrupt bark. Swearing under his breath the young man turned to see a police officer with a rather angry looking German Shepard step into view. The weak light flooded the empty dockside as the police officer raised his arm to scout the area.

"Who goes there?" his voice echoed off the stone cold cobblestones and bounced out to sea. The young man stopped, his heart beating fast, and trying to ignore the elder man as he muttered something about nerds and getting girlfriends. The bobbing lantern stopped and a rather short, young looking police man stood there, a heavy frown on his face as he surveyed the two. "All righ' lads?" he asked, his London accent thick and condescending.

"Yes. Thank-you officer," the brown haired man replied curtly, nodding his head in greeting and hauling his slightly drunken charge upwards, back onto his shoulder.

"Good night?"

"Very. Now if you please," the man was about to move, but the dog growled in warning.

"I was wondering where you were off to on this early morning. Surely no ordinary," (it was stated with such a patronising and condescending voice that the young man had to refrain from punching the officer in the face – and that would be sure to get him arrested). "Folk would be out on a night like this," the younger man felt the hairs on the back of his neck rise as the officer's eyes skimmed over their rather haphazard clothing.

"Tell him we're pirates, Two, that'd be sure to give him the willies," he felt his superior's breath against his neck, murmuring in a drunken giggle, and had to refrain from rolling his eyes.

"My cousin's just a little bit disorientated Sir," he replied to the policeman, his voice scarily calm.

"All right boys," the policeman replied. "Happy Christmas too you both,"

With a mental sigh and a quick nod to the officer the faithful steward headed towards the edge of the dock. He smiled as he looked up to see a large creaking ship, it's stern shrouded in heavy winter mist as the warm sea had mixed with the cool air. Barnacle's could be seen disappearing and reappearing again as the ship bobbed continuously up and down with the tide, and the midnight fish swimming below deck. It wasn't much, but it was his home, and he loved it.

"Ahoy!" he called up to the deck, and too his delight he saw a rather ugly looking pirate lean over, a grin stretched across his face, and his yellow teeth glowing in the darkness of the dock.

"Ahoy Pirate with a Scarf!"

"Shush! The coppers are out!" he saw the man wince and shook his head, readjusting the man on his shoulder once again, grimacing as he felt warm drool on his neck.

"Oh, I'll get the ladder down for you, think the Cap'in will be able to manage?"

"We'll make it work," he couldn't help but grin at the other pirate up on deck, smiling in relief as he saw the ladder drop down, it's wood clinking against the ship hull made a deafening sound in the silent dock. "Captain, the rope!"

"On it Number Two!" the elder man grinned, and to both pirates surprise the Captain managed to walk to the ladder quite easily, but stumbled on the last step. Lurching his faithful sidekick reached out and grabbed his arm gently as his Captain took hold of the ladder and started to climb.

It was quite a task, but both pirates managed to hoist their Captain onto the deck and standing upright. The shortest of the pirates hauled up the rope ladder and tucked it safely on deck, wrapping it gently in tarpaulin to stop it from being ruined by the elements.

"I'll take it from here Gout, you'd better get some rest,"

"Aye, thank-you Pirate with a Scarf," he paused, his voice dropping low. "You think you'll be able to deal with 'im?" they both looked over to their Captain, to see that he was standing, neck craned backwards and eyes cast upwards towards the sky, hands in his pockets and a blissful grin on his face.

"I think I'll be fine, nothing I haven't dealt with before," the pair grinned at each other, and Gout nodded before turning and heading below deck. Gently the second-in-command eased his Captain in the right direction, and the Captain followed easily.

"Hey Two," he smiled, his eyes soft as they reached the door of his cabin. "It's snowing," and to his surprise and delight the quartermaster saw tiny flecks of white sprinkling down from the low clouds. It was starting to land on the frosty deck and he knew that their ship would be covered in snow by the early morning (or late morning, for them now anyway). Suddenly a snowflake gently landed on his nose, and the Captain laughed. Leaning over he wiped away the crystalline snow with his thumb, his face close, and his mouth smiling. The younger pirate blushed in surprise. There was an awkward silence as the Captain grinned at him. Snow was falling, all around them, little pockets undulating down in separate flurries as they twirled around in the air. "Two, look up," the second-in-command's eyes flicked upwards to see a sprig of mistletoe hanging innocently on the Pirate Captain's cabin door frame. "I wonder who could have put that there," he grinned mischievously, giving the Pirate with a Scarf a pointed look.

"Definitely not me Sir," the Pirate with a Scarf replied. "Probably Albino,"

"Best keep to tradition then, shouldn't we Two?" his voice had dropped low, and he'd lent in slightly, making the shorter pirate fumble for his words as he stepped backwards. "Wouldn't want to disappoint the lad – would we?"

"I really don't think it's for us Captain," the quartermaster stuttered, his ears turning pink. "I really think that we should just- mmhhffff!" his surprised exclamation was cut short as the elder man pressed his lips to his own and kissed him.

Butterflies erupted in his stomach, and a light feeling rushed towards his head, whilst his knees felt like they were going to buckle underneath him. He raised one hand to brace it against the wall of the captain's cabin, but was surprised as the Captain reached out and caught it, intertwining their fingers tightly together, and placing the other one on his hip.

The Pirate with a Scarf felt the need to pull away, and the pair parted with a slight sound of lip-leaving-lip.

"Well, Captain – I'd," the Pirate with a Scarf was fumbling desperately with his emotions, to the point where he was tripping overs his words. He saw his Captain's face, and couldn't help but feel slightly guilty at the downtrodden expression that lay there.

"I'm sorry Two," their eyes locked, and the Pirate with a Scarf realised that he was still clutching his Captain's hand, and his other hand was resting on the middle of his Captain's chest. "A bit to forwards. I should have-"

His mind cut his Captain's mumbled apologies out as he tried to rearrange his thoughts. The pirate knew that he liked his Captain; knew that he liked him quite more than a little bit, but there was always the worry that they'd be found out, or destroy the precious friendship that was so dear to him.

"Two?" the Captain gripped his hand, as if it was a desperate attempt to keep him grounded. "Please don't say I've made a mistake, I'm oh so very good at making mistakes. It was tradition and all, and I really wanted to-"

The Pirate with a Scarf couldn't help but throw all caution into the wind and kiss his superior in return. He grinned into the kiss as he felt himself relax when the – no _his_Pirate Captain – started to rub gentle circles on his hip with his thumb, tenderly caressing skin through his rag-tag clothing. Feeling the need for air the pair broke apart, equally wide smiles on their faces, and flushed red cheeks to match.

"Just living up to tradition Sir," Pirate with a Scarf grinned, his face bright and happy. The elder pirate laughed and pulled him into a tight embrace, leaning back against cabin door and watching the snow as it drifted slowly onto the cold wooden deck. Sighing happily the Pirate with a Scarf rested his head on the Pirate Captain's chest, listening to the steady sound of his heartbeat in the cool silence of the night air.

"I wasn't actually that drunk y'know Number Two," the Captain admitted after a few minutes companionable silence.

The younger pirate chuckled and pressed his face into the Captain's chest. "I know Captain," he looked up to see that a snowflake had landed just on the tip of the Pirate Captain's (now rather red from the bitter cold and the night's proceedings) nose. Feeling daring he quickly leaned up and kissed the snowflake off, the coolness of the ice sending a slight shiver down his spine. He grinned as he saw his Captain's eyebrows rise in surprise at his cheekiness.

With a smile still alight on his face the Pirate with a Scarf laughed, happiness filling his heart. "Just keeping up to tradition Sir,"

And for the rest of the night, and many nights after that, both were glad that he did.

Even if the mistletoe wasn't hanging on the door.

* * *

So cheesy! I'm sorry!

I'm up at one on Christmas Day shamelessly writing Scraftain Christmas fluff! Well I promised you all and here it is. I can use the excuse to say that I've spent the whole evening with my family and their all in bed, and I have yet to go to sleep now so , it still counts as Boxing Day! Well to all those over the sea it still will be; won't it?

Lol, anyway hope you enjoyed it, and I promise the next chapter to Little White Lies will be here before New Years. It just feels rather rushed, but I'm going to try and complete it!

Hopefully this doesn't feel rushed and you enjoyed it!

Well, Merry Christmas to all, and too all good night! Hope you all have a very Happy Christmas and a great New Year.

Much Love,  
Floating-Away.


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